AWESOME, Don!!!! Congrats!!!!!

WooHooo, Don! That is so awesome. This took such dedication and commitment, I am sure you are so proud of yourself.
Hey, Sue, I think the point is the hug doesn't have to be so big anymore, LOL.
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Helen

You got me on that one Helen! :D ;)

Don, let's crack this open and celebrate! Wow! I am so proud of you! Actually all of you are awe inpiring!

I gained 5 lbs on my O cruise. And that was with hours of walking. It'll probably mostly from salt in the food and a change in diet. But what I really owe the enjoyment of my cruise was that I was power walking: I did the whole Acropolis and Partheon - to the top. I walked the wall at Cavtat in Dubrovnik. We walked every block of Corfu's old town. In Santorini, I walked to the top in Oia as well as Thira. All the excursions we went on were rated most strenous. I did them all without stopping. If I hadn't gotten on the exercise bandwagon and lost the weight I did, I would not just have had the cruise I did. For dinner, I had 3 of 5 courses. One bread serving only. Yogurt and fruit for breakfast most days.
Sugar free dessert and ice cream most of the time. 1/2 portions on some things - just a taste.

I read the posts of the last two weeks. Yes, the key is to change lifestyle. Losing it can be the easy part. Maintaining and jumping back on are the hard parts. But living life is the real goal. You can do both.

I haven't looked at this particular thread in some time. So glad I did so today.

Bravo to you, Don :app: ! You and Andrea not only "talk the talk" you "walk the walk!" You're both wonderful inspirations and examples!

How about posting another pix of incredibly svelt you?

Thanks all, for your wonderful encouragement! Y'all are so very special! It makes this journey even easier with your support.

Kathy, I like your idea of a celebration! Let's use the large flutes! Welcome home! I was following your Seamail. Sounds like you both had a fabulous time. Those 5 lbs will come off in no time!

Denise, I promise to post one soon. I won't even need to use the wide angle lens now! LOL

Kathy, welcome back! So great that you did all that walking, not easy in the heat!

Don, congratulations, keep up the good work!

I lost 2 pounds last week, and then probably gained it back at the cottage. The weather was iffy, the mosquitoes bad, so not as much exercise as I would have liked (yard work, walking, swimming), plus the simple meals we have up there were not the perfect weight-loss choices--hot dogs, coleslaw, lasagna, etc.

Oh well, next time I go up the bugs will be gone, and I'll stock the kitchen better. Meanwhile, back on the bandwagon in Toronto.

Don and Kathy you are my heroes. You show us that it really is the quality of life that counts, and that we have the power to influence that quality, even if we can't control everything that happens to us.

Well, yesterday, I hopped right back on the horse. Today, even being the 4th, I am right back on! Before CROSS I have a goal of another 25 lbs. It's going to be a really hot one here and I am pleased to say I did my walk.

Wendy - glad to hear you are on it. We've been in this for a few years now together and it's a life long battle. One step forward at a time.

Don, we will definitely plan on celebrating 100 lbs plus on Cross or sooner if you head out our way

Welcome back Kathy! I know what you mean about being able to do more physical things w/o getting all winded, tired, and cranky! Looking better is a plus but feeling better really is priceless.
Are you heading out here to the left coast, Don?
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Helen

Helen, we may. I grew up in OC and we come home every so often. Besides, I need to have a In-N-Out fix every once in awhile! LOL

How has everybody faired this week with the holidays? It has been a rough week so far for me. We had friends that came to stay with us for a few days and the calories went up (a few extra glasses of wine will do that) and the exercise went down. :mecry:

Don you have to enjoy life and the main thing is you are getting right back on track after your bit of fun!

We weighed in this morning and I stayed the same, but Tom gained a few lbs! I told him he's had too much beer this holiday weekend! <img border="0" alt="[beer]" title="" src="graemlins/beer.gif" />

Yes, Don getting back on the horse is good. I am 1 lbs off now from when we left for Istanbul - in only 5 days. Those ships generously salt food!

Sue and Kathy, I know what you mean. I really wasn't even that bad, but I did just commit to losing 18 lbs between now and Labor Day! What was I thinking? I can still do it. It will just be butt on the bike and tennies on the treadmill and face out of the fridge!!!

Kathy, good job and getting back with it! I know you will make your goal.

Well I did OK over the 4th but having a bit of a rough weekend temptation-wise. In fact on my way out to Disneyland with my NY sister and niece in town. We belong to a private club at the Park and are going to lunch there which is buffet style. Its not that I don't KNOW what to do but all those yummy things, Ay Ay Ay. Fingers crossed!
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Helen

Helen are you a member of Club 33? I will never forget the Ceaser salad I ate there....I can have those...

Yes Kathy we are. It is a great place to go isn't it? For the lunch buffet they do lobster tail, crab claws and shrimp which I can have but they also have a dessert buffet and a full bar, sigh. I did split a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay with 2 sisters but otherwise kept with the program.
If you would ever like to go back, let me know I will get you in.
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Helen

Ah, Cakebread Chardonnay and Club 33? And you kept with the program? that is as good as going on a Cruise for a day and missing a meal! Talk about being proud of yourself - and with all the walking at Disneyland too! Wow! I am impressed.

I wear a pedometer as part of the deal with Lindora and they ask that you clock 10k steps a day. Well I walked 17,500 steps yesterday at D'land before I took it off and between that and the heat, I figure the Cakebread shouldn't count! I just love a good rationalization?!
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Helen

Helen, great job! That is definately a place to get some exercise! I have never heard of Cakebread Chardonnay! Is that so you can have your cake and drink it too? LOL

OK, I lied! I still had some wine last night, but I did up my water and was back on track with my exercise! It must have worked, because I still lost 3 lbs last week! :woh:
I couldn't believe it, I was so excited!!!

So, now I am down 103 lbs since 8/14/06, 75 of which have come off since January 1st!

Oh, and a funny thing happened last Thursday. We went with our friends to the Haggar outlet, where I was happy to find some smaller shirts for $9. I went to pay for them by credit card and was asked for a picture ID. I whipped out my drivers license and the gal, looked at my license then looked at me and then looked back at my license and asked, do you have a picture that actaully looks like you??? What in the world are you doing??? While I was very happy, it also started me thinking though about whether I could have a problem with my passport! I wonder if I need to have it updated?

Andrea???

Isn't that a great name? It is really the vintner's name I think it's Bruce? Very good Calif wines, the Cab and the Sauvignon Blanc are favorites. I think I would rather have it then the cake
That passport thing might be a concern, Don. Not a bad problem to have though all things considered!
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Helen

Yes, but are they better than 2 Buck Chuck? LOL

I guess that is a good problem to have. If they asked where the guy is that is in the picture, I could always tell them that he is still on the plane trying to figure out how to unfasten his seatbelt extender! LOL

Don - congrats. You are just melting away!!

I didn't have any trouble with my passport, probably because I renewed it in 2002 and I was about 15 lbs heavier then than I am now. I was concerned because my hair is totally different (blonde to brunette), but no questions were asked. We'll see how it goes when I go to Italy at the end of August.

So, I guess it's time for my post-FJORDS weigh-in result. Ahem. I managed to gain about 13 lbs, but I'm hoping most of it is salt. I'm already down 1.5 lbs as of this morning, so it will probably take a week or so to get back on the losing track. I didn't work out nearly enough as I was really disappointed with the Voyager gym. The equipment is in desperate need of replacement. That along with a whole lot of drinking has a lot to do with the gain. But, I had a great time, and I'm back on plan 100%. I still have my goal of losing 100 lbs by the end of August.

Andrea, that has to be just a bunch of fluid retention. Try hot lemon water at night before bed.
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Helen

Andrea -

Welcome home. It's always amazing to me how quickly you can gain weight in comparison with how quickly you lose weight. Just get back to where you were when you left off. You already know you can do it. Anytime you want to chat about it, we all do the struggle.

Andrea, thanks! Glad you had a great time on Fjords. I bet it was an absolute blast. I enjoyed reading all the SeaMail. As for the weight, it probably is mostly water. They love to really salt that food on cruises, not to mention that the alcohol does tend to make your retain water as well! Not that I would know! LOL

That is too bad about the equipment. We are going to be on the Voyager on CROSS. With eight sea days, I was hoping to get lots of use out of the gym. I'm just curious, but what equipment were they having problems with?

Good job getting back with it. I have no doubt that you will make your goal by the time you leave for Italy! You have real dedication!

Don,

We can always use the stairs. How many stairs do you have to crawl up to burn 100 calories?

Well, good news from the scale - I was down another 5 lbs this morning. I guess I'm a human sponge! Helen, I have been drinking a ton of water because I've also ended up with a kidney infection. Of course, that's going to put a crimp into my exercise schedule.

Don, there weren't any real problems with the equipment, but it's not up to "real gym" standards. The treadmills were okay, but the crosstrainers were horrible. There is one in the back row that is better than the two in the front row, but you have to punch in the programming very slowly or it freezes up and you have to start again. The two in the front row don't have the usual elliptical motion we're used to. Very hard to explain.

On officer night I had dinner with Jaime and Dana, and they both said the equipment was supposed to get updated in the dry dock, but it hasn't happened yet. I made note of my disappointment on the comment card, but have really considered writing to Mark Conroy. I just think for the amount of money we pay to cruise Regent the equipment needs to be of a higher standard.

Kathy, LOL!!!

Andrea, that is great news! You are back on your way! Bad news about the kidney infection though! Yuck, but you have the right attitude!

About the equipment, hopefully they will have it all corrected by the time we go on CROSS. I can't imagine having eight sea days without being able to workout. Did they also have weight equipment? Maybe I can even learn to do the elliptical machines by the time we leave. I don't know what it is, but I have a real coordination problem with doing the elliptical. I always lose my balance and feel like I'm going to fall off. I can do the treadmills and bikes just fine, but not the ellipticals.

Anyways, here is to your goal of 100!

OK, here is the latest picture that I promised.



And this is a picture of me taken on SAND in December, after I had already lost about 40 lbs.

WOW... Don you look terrific!!!! Congrats to both you and Andrea for sticking with the plan and doing so well!! You guys are an inspiration to us all!

Don, amazing and wonderful! You look fabulous!

Don you look terrific! And to be honest - younger! Andrea - you too! You two are such a positive influence! I know I've got more to lose and checking in here helps motivate me. Stairs instead of elevators here at work - one small step I know, but every step counts!

Don keep posting pics so we know who to look for in Funchal! You look AWESOME!!!! :banana: :app:

woohoo, Don. How fun to enjoy looking at pix of yourself melting away!
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Helen

Wow, great picture!
I have a quick question for all of you. I didn't want to go back and read 39 pages...has anyone here been doing WW Core program? I am giving it a whirl, and with a little help from a plastic surgeon (shhhhh)I am down 11 pounds and look very different than I did when the school year ended. I go back to work in one month, and would sure love to drop another 10 pounds. I still can't exercise for another 2 weeks, but I plan to get started (slowly) when I can. You guys on CROSS can ask my mom to show you before and after pics, lol.
Melinda

You guys look soooo good - Don you can be cover of GQ!!!! Andrea was so amazing I did not recognize her - pictures do tell the real story -

WOW!!! Thanks All! Cover of GQ, huh? Well that is a first! Joanna, you made my day! Though I did make my modeling debut last August when I was the centerfold for TQ. TUSHEES Quarterly! LOL

Joanna, really...that was so funny!! You had even seen progress photos. Michele did a double take too. My favorite remark was from Don - I stood next to him and he looked at me and said "Well. You look different."!

Don, you look fabulous!!

Melinda, I don't know if anyone here is doing WW. I'm on Jenny Craig, Kathy is on a plan from her friend who is a nutritionist - Don, I'm not sure what plan you're on? Congrats on your loss so far - well done!

I finally made it back to the gym today and let me tell you, it felt great to be exercising again!